November 12, 2013

Hey Thorne Fam!

Hello from good ol' Morehead, Kentucky! Out here in the Far East we are doing absolutely fantastically! We have seen so many amazing incredibly miracles this week that I don't even really know where to start. But for now, I will say for certain, The church is true!!!

As for our investigators: we currently have 6 progressing. Kat, Nancy, Tung, Jeannie, Sandy, and Bill.

Kat is amazing and has her batism all planned out. She has received 3 of the new member lessons from Brother Curry and Brother Monnett.

Nancy is still reading in her Book of Mormon and she has started praying daily but she had to cancel our meeting this past week. So we have been calling her ever other day or so to stay in Daily Contact with her, but we haven't actually gotten to meet and teach her again. More on her next week.

Tung we met with this past week and talked about L3. We ended with baptism. He told us he is going back to Vietnam January 3rd and wants to be baptized before he goes home. He has been praying about baptism like once a week but hasn't gotten his answer yet. He said that he is now to "80% knowing that God is real" up from the 70% 2 weeks ago. So his is coming. Now we just need to reteach the Restoration with an emphasis on the Priesthood to ensure that he doesn't just go get baptized in anothe church. :P

Jeannie we met with last night and talked about prayer. We also talked about why we pray and how we recieve answer to prayers by coming to church. She committed to come to church this Sunday! Her first time!

Sandy we met with yesterday as well. We talked about the basics of the restoration really focusing on prayer and personal testimony. He said that he doesn't know for himself that it is true yet, but he hopes that it is and he is leaning on Sister Gibbs testimony right now. We talked to him about Elder Holland's "Lord, I Believe" conference talk and expressed a desire for him to gain his own testimony. He has real intent. So he is including that in his prayers this week. He's still sober!

Bill is the last the best of all the game this week. So he still didn't come to church this past Sunday. We talked with him and he basically said we could meet with him one last time but that he wasn't interest in being baptized so we basically would just stop coming around at that point. We prayed and fasted before his lesson and decided that we need to talk about prayer and then have Bill pray about Baptism right there with us. We got into the lesson and he expressed his thought that the church has "fallen" from it's origianal glory. I told him that if President Monson is God's prophet then this church is still run by God. So that was really what he was asking, if Thomas S. Monson was God's prophet. So we got down on our knees with him and he asked God right there if he was. We were all silent for a while adn then Bill said, "I got my answer. The same as when I prayed to know if tithing was a commandment from God. God told me 'Listen to these people. They are my servants.' " I started to cry as I was able to testify to Bill that God has just spoken directly to him. So we then proceeded to set a baptismal date with him for January 12th. He said that he will pray about being baptized this week. So we went from a drop lesson to setting a baptismal date. The church is true. God is in charge. I know it. 

As for your email:

1) Mandy: you failed the driving test??? haha! Oh man, how I love my adorkable Manda-lou. You go girl. :) Study it out and pass that baby next time okay! I'll be your cheerleader. :)

2) Josh and Brandon: Congrats on grades! That's my boys! I am so very proud of you. Keep at it dudies. :)

3) Sounds like y'all had a really fun weekend. That thankful tree is such a cute idea! Where did they get the paper for it? How is Grandpa Ralph doing? Good job on everythin Brit! You are such a hard worker and my spiritual rock. I look up to you lil sis. :) You keep those standards high. Just as God has told you, you are going to do amazing things in this church. That's my sister!!!

4) Daddy: an iPad huh? For "work"? ;) haha sounds like a fun family toy. I don't think I could even work it. :P I tried playing with Emily's new iPhone and I couldnt' figure it out.... Man. I am such a missionary. :P You'll have to teach me when I get back okay? :) Love you Daddy!

5) Mom: fun timeline! 16 races huh? Wow. You are incredible. It's hard to believe I was actually able to run half marathons at one point. I feel like I'm dying after one mile. I am so very not in shape.... I'll work on that when I get home. ;P

6) Brother Curry showed me that video. So cool!!! It gave me the chills. Plus, the song that is on there is actually Sister Sperry and I's jam! We listen to it all the time!

7) Also, as a side note, P-day next week will also be on Tuesday because Zone Conference is on Monday. Just so you know.

As for my spiritual thought: this week my thought comes from Moroni chapter 7. I will be taking pieces from verses 27, 29 and 37. In this chapter Mormon is speaking to us. He asks us a question. He says, "Have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven?" This week I have gained a testimony that miracles have not ceased. I know without a shadow of a doubt that miracles still happen every single day of our life. Mormon continues, "Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men." Sister Sperry and I have fasted every Sunday for the past month and a half for Bill to be able to get his answer. As we went into this lesson, we were planning on dropping him, that this would be our last time. And then, as we prayed with him, I literally put everything into God's hands, trusting that somehow Bill would get his answer. Praying and hoping for a miracle. And we got one. But it was according to our faith. I testify that miracles happen every single day. I know that as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, he will bless us with more miracles than we have ever seen before. I know that angels truly are round about us, ministering and preparing people for us. I would invite everyone this week to start exercising your faith, putting your trust in God and looking for those daily miracles. Especially and Thanksgiving is coming up, thank God each day for those miracles he provides you. I know that as you do so, you will be blessed with even more and will be able to develop an attitude of grattitude.

I love you infinity!

Sister Thorne

We had some fun raking leaves for a member.